Stockport County will face Bolton Wanderers at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 23, 2026, in the League One play-off final as they attempt to secure promotion to the Championship for the first time in 24 years.
The Hatters, who were playing in the National League North just six years ago, have undergone a rapid ascent under the ownership of local businessman Mark Stott, who purchased the club in January 2020.
Manager Dave Challinor, who played in Stockport's last second-tier match in 2002, is aiming to secure the eighth promotion of his managerial career after guiding the team back into the Football League.
Guardiola's Surprise Call
Challinor recounted a surprise phone call from Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola regarding Leyton Orient.
"He phoned and asked for some advice, which, when I got the first message, I thought someone was on the wind-up," said Challinor.
Challinor noted that Guardiola's gesture demonstrated a deep appreciation for the entire English football pyramid, which is connected to Stockport through Stott, who operates the City Suites apartment block where Guardiola resides.
"But to speak to him for 10 minutes and for him to speak to me, a League One manager, to ask your thoughts about another team, just shows what he feels about what this country provides," Challinor added.
Guardiola previously accepted Stott's invitation to attend a match at Edgeley Park in April, a night that ended in a 2-1 defeat for Stockport against Port Vale while European fixtures were taking place elsewhere.
"I didn't know he was coming," said Challinor.
The manager joked that his players underperformed during that specific match because they seemed aware of the high-profile spectator in the stands.
"I probably wish he hadn't, because some of our players almost played like they knew he was there and if there was any convincing that they weren't going to sign for Man City, they got it based on how we performed in the first half and throughout the course of that game," Challinor said.
Guardiola's Influence on English Football
Challinor, who analyzed Manchester City's tactics during his Pro Licence studies, credited Guardiola with fundamentally changing how football is approached across all levels of the British game.
"He (Guardiola) has thrown himself into what the culture of this country is and what the pyramid looks like right the way down, which is something that not all managers from different countries do," Challinor said.
He emphasized that the tactical adjustments introduced by Guardiola have trickled down significantly, even impacting how non-league sides build possession from the defensive line.
"I think he's influenced every single manager within British football," Challinor said.
Reflecting on the evolution of domestic tactics over the past two decades, Challinor reiterated that modern playing habits and behaviors stem largely from Guardiola's arrival in England.
"I think there are lots of managers previously who have changed the way British football is played or led, the habits, the behaviours, all those things, but if you cast your mind back 15, 20 years ago, around how football was played, it's completely different," Challinor said.
As Guardiola prepares to depart Manchester City following his final match at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, Challinor expressed an intention to send him a congratulatory message once the play-off pressure subsides.
"[Guardiola] coming into this country has filtered down right through the pyramid.
You wouldn't have seen teams playing out from the back in non-league football, or playing in a way that his teams have," Challinor said.
Challinor acknowledged that while he knows where the Manchester City boss stays, he has generally avoided initiating unnecessary contact out of personal habit.
"I've stayed at City Suites a few times and know where he is, but no, I haven't and that's probably down to me just because of the way I am," said Challinor.
Despite encouragement from peers to reach out more frequently, Challinor remains focused on the immediate task at hand at Wembley.
"I speak to lots of people and they'll constantly tell me to make up an excuse to give him a call, to try and get another conversation.
Most certainly I'll message him, whether he gets it or replies, I'm not too sure," Challinor said.
A Massive Opportunity for Stockport
The impending match represents a massive milestone for Stockport County, given the financial and competitive turbulence the fanbase endured prior to Stott's takeover.
"It's a massive opportunity but it is another game," said Challinor.
The manager recognized that the high stakes and potential promotion elevate the significance of the fixture far beyond a standard league encounter.
"Granted there's more jeopardy and a bigger prize at the end of it than normal," Challinor said.
Challinor recalled that since the club dropped out of the second tier, the supporters have endured administrations, relegations, and a lengthy stint in the National League North before rebuilding.
"I suppose over those 24 years, I played in the last Championship game that Stockport County played in and from that point on the supporters have been through relegations, promotions, administration, all sorts, with the club going into National League North," Challinor said.
He credited the steady progress entirely to the vision established by the ownership group over the last six seasons.
"Since Mark came in six years ago, everything's been on the up and we've got ourselves to this point.
It's a massive opportunity to have it in front of us and obviously it would mean everything for us to be able to take it and from my perspective almost go full circle and take the club back to the Championship," Challinor said.
In a separate broadcast interview with BBC Radio Manchester, Challinor emphasized the collective effort required by the backroom staff and players to earn this single promotional opportunity.
"A whole host of people work so hard and go through so much to give ourselves the opportunity and we have to now make sure we do all we can to grab it," Challinor told BBC Radio Manchester.
He repeated that the rapid ascent from non-league struggles to the gates of the Championship aligned perfectly with the targeted trajectory mapped out by the owners from day one.
"I played in the last Championship game that Stockport County played (a 2-0 loss at Norwich in 2002) - from that point on the supporters have been through relegations, promotions, administration but since the owners came in six years ago everything has been on the up again," Challinor said.
Challinor concluded by stating that while outsiders might find their presence in the final surprising, it was always the internal expectation.
"When I first came here you might say you're surprised we've got to this stage but it was part of the owners' plan when they first came into the football club," Challinor said.
According to historical data provided by the BBC, Stockport holds a strong recent record against Bolton, winning three of their last four meetings while keeping clean sheets in each victory.
However, Stockport enters the fixture with a historically poor record at Wembley, having lost five of their seven previous appearances at the national stadium.
Bolton Wanderers enter their 16th competitive match at Wembley Stadium following a defensive milestone in the semi-finals against Bradford City, where they advanced through the round without conceding a single goal for the first time in their play-off history.
